


Breaking & Entering

by a_quick_drink



Category: Cut & Run - Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-16
Updated: 2015-05-16
Packaged: 2018-03-30 20:15:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3950230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_quick_drink/pseuds/a_quick_drink
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kelly's leaving Colorado, but not before he says one last goodbye.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breaking & Entering

Staring up at the dilapidated house through misty eyes, Kelly felt his heart squeeze. The place had definitely seen much better days. Now the house sat abandoned, somehow forgotten in time in this little clearing. Pine trees ringed the property, their fresh scent wafting on the breeze and filling his nose. Song birds twittered from the swaying branches.

He started up the unpaved driveway, pausing halfway and closing his eyes. The breeze ruffled his hair and brushed against his face, as gentle as any lover’s caress. As the sounds of bird calls and rustling leaves faded, he listened for the sounds from his memories: the tinkling of wind chimes, crickets chirping, the creak of a rocking chair on the porch. A dog barking at squirrels. Laughter.

_Life._

But there was nothing.

A lone tear slipped down his cheek. Kelly brushed it away and stuffed his hands in his coat pockets, continuing up the drive. 

Up close the house was even worse than he’d imagined. The porch he remembered spending lazy summer days on had been completely removed, revealing a cracked concrete foundation. Once glistening white paint was now cracked and peeling, dirty. He followed a patch of mold-damaged siding around the corner of the house. The windows were intact, although he supposed there weren’t many hoodlums running around these parts. He turned and went back to the front of house.

Nick waited patiently for him by the front door, his expression unreadable behind his sunglasses. He watched as Kelly pulled a small lock-picking kit out and frowned although he said nothing.

They’d already had this debate when Kelly first learned the house would be demolished. Kelly had argued that, yes, it was trespassing, but when had something like that ever stopped them? When Nick still refused to help, Kelly threatened to do it himself. He’d never gotten to say goodbye to his parents; he’d be damned if he didn’t say goodbye to the house he’d grown up in while he still had a chance. 

From the kit, Kelly selected two slim tools that looked like they belonged in a dentist’s office before stuffing the wallet back in his pocket. He inserted the tools into the lock and pressed his ear to the door. Holding his breath, he raked the pick across the pins inside the lock and listened for the tell-tale sound of the pins falling into place. After several long minutes of this process, the last pin finally fell. He gave the knob a twist and the door creaked open. 

One big step up and he was standing in the doorway, peering into the house. Dust motes danced lazily in the sunlight filtering through the windows. There was little left in the front room, only an old sofa with a gaudy flower print and a wooden chair whose woven seat was missing.

Kelly pushed the door open wider and immediately sneezed as a puff of dust hit his nose. He reached back for Nick’s hand, their fingers lacing together. Nick gave his hand a squeeze, and Kelly led him into the house.

The old floorboards creaked under their weight as they crept through the lower level. The remaining rooms were barren save for some tattered curtains. On the floor, scuff marks indicated where furniture once sat; discolorations on the walls in the shapes of picture frames. None of this was familiar to him, though. Previous owners had painted and re-painted the walls, his past buried somewhere under layers of pigment and wallpaper.

Kelly started up the stairs to the second level when he heard the faint sound of splintering wood. Nick tugged him backwards off the steps.

“Stay down here,” Nick warned.

Kelly looked between the stairs and Nick, staring at him imploringly. “Please?”

“Kels…” Nick’s mouth opened and closed before he finally huffed in defeat. “Fine. But if that staircase collapses, you’re breaking my fall.”

Kelly pushed up on his toes and pressed a kiss to Nick’s lips. “Thanks, babe.” He released Nick’s hand and reached for the railing instead. It wobbled slightly in his grip, but seemed sturdy enough. He crept up the steps, flinching each time the boards protested. Getting injured in his childhood home was definitely not what he wanted as his parting memory of Colorado.

He still couldn’t believe this would be his last time in the state for the foreseeable future, but with his house sold there was nothing left for him here. It was back to Boston in the morning, where they’d spend a week packing before jetting off to the Bahamas to meet up with Emma’s crew. While thrilled he would finally get to see the Bimini Road, he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d made the right decision.

Glancing over his shoulder, Kelly caught ivy green eyes staring back at him. Yes, this was the right decision. No matter what happened, at least he would never be alone.

At the top of the stairs, Kelly followed the hall to the left. He poked his head into the first room, but there was nothing of interest since the old guest bedroom held no special memories for him. The threadbare carpeting muffled their footsteps as they went to the next room. 

Tears pricked his eyes as he took a hesitant step into the room. The room was bright and warm from the afternoon sun spilling in through the windows, a lot like the memories that were flooding back.

“Your room?” Nick asked softly. Kelly nodded, and Nick’s arms tightened around his shoulders.

Kelly hummed a positive note. Even though the room was empty, he could still picture it as it had been all those years ago: the twin bed under the window, where he watched the moon and stars track across the night sky before he fell asleep; the mess of art supplies covering the desk in the corner; the shelves lined with books and toys. A wistful smile tugged at his lips. 

They stood there in silence for what he wished were hours. These minutes needed to last the rest of his lifetime because once they walked out the front door, there was no coming back. Then again, would that be any different than the first time he’d left, with only a small suitcase and backpack to his name?

Kelly felt Nick’s lips against his neck. “We should probably get going soon.”

“Yeah,” Kelly answered slowly, his voice sounding as hollow as his heart felt. The place was just a shell, he reminded himself. It was no longer home.

Turning, Kelly wrapped his arms around Nick’s waist and hugged him close. _This._ This was home.


End file.
